Travel

Over the past two weeks, Corporate America has been reporting its financial results for the year’s third quarter, the July through September period. For the airlines and their stockholders, the numbers look good. A few representative examples: American posted a net profit of $175 million for the third quarter of 2007, “Our sixth straight profitable quarter and our largest net profit in any third quarter since 2000,” according to Chairman and CEO Gerard Arpey. Excluding a special charge of $12 million for pilot pension plan settlement charges, Continental recorded net income of $253 million, up 73% over the same period last year. United had pre-tax income, excluding special items, of $498 million, 127% higher than the same period last year. And US Airways reported profit for the third quarter of $177 million, compared to a net loss of $78 million for last year’s third quarter. While investors may be heartened by the quarterly reports’ strong data, flyers shouldn’t be. Among the
(Read the full post about ‘Why ‘airline comfort’ is an oxymoron, and is likely to remain so’…)

As eco-tourism has become a booming trade in the tourism industry, questions have arisen over the need for a set law regarding certification of ГўВЂВњEco-Friendly EnterprisesГўВЂВќ.   Many in the industry who own and operate small or medium scale businessГўВЂВ™, and operate under self-regulation to ensure their enterprise is environmentally conscience, wonder if a general ГўВЂВњEco-Friendly CertificationГўВЂВќ will have a negative effect on the their trade.  What is eco-tourism?  According to the eco-tourism certification program in Australia, it is, ГўВЂВњEcologically sustainable tourism with a primary focus on experiencing natural areas that fosters environmental and cultural understanding, appreciation and conservation.ГўВЂВќ       (http://www.ecotourism.org.au/eco_certification.asp).  Some industry insiders are concerned that evaluation and certification programs will end up being
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Cruise Editor Erica Silverstein is currently sailing the Mediterranean aboard Windstar’s Wind Surf. If you have any questions about Windstar, the ship in particular, or Mediterranean cruising, please email her at cruise@smartertravel.com. I must admit that I didn’t really see the point of an overnight stop in Monaco. I wasn’t about to dress up and gamble away all my money at the Monte Carlo casino, and the principality does not have the wealth of tourist attractions that cities such as Florence and Rome provide. After two days in Monaco, I realized why we stopped here for so long. The long layover allows guests to take tours to other cities along the French Riviera, while still having a chance to explore Monaco. For those of us not heading into France, we could take advantage of the lazy mornings and relaxing pace of a sea day, while having the option to go into town whenever we wished. The overnight stop is also good for cruisers wishing to dine on local food. I decided to play the
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SAN DIEGO, California — The wildfires in California have forced an exodus of estimated 950,000 people from their homes. But where have they all gone? The American Red Cross reported Wednesday that only a small fraction of the nearly 1 million evacuees spent the past few nights at dozens of designated shelters stretching from San Diego County to Los Angeles County. "We believe many people are staying with family and friends or going to hotels," said Red Cross spokeswoman Jeanne Ellinport in Washington. "We understand that hotel rooms are hard to find." Fifteen hundred homes have been destroyed in the fires, according to authorities. Kirk Shaw, office manager at the city’s Days Inn Harbor View said the facility has been flooded with evacuees, many of them coming from Ramona "saying that their houses were actually on fire." The hotel has turned away dozens of guests in the past three days, Shaw said, during a time when business is traditionally slow.
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It’s only October but Sandra Arthur has her extended family’s Thanksgiving gathering entirely planned out. And she’s not going to spend a single minute in the kitchen. That’s because Arthur, her four siblings and their spouses and kids plan to spend the Thanksgiving weekend at the YMCA’s Snow Mountain Ranch in Winter Park, Colorado. “We’re coming from all over the country,” says Arthur, who lives in Southern California, adding that everyone is looking forward to the snow. “It just makes it more fun than getting together at someone’s house. There are no hassles. Everyone can relax.” Another plus: it’s less crowded than the summer.” Clearly, a growing number of families agree. They’re planning to travel just as much over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, travel experts say, but instead of crowding into grandma’s house, sleeping on lumpy sofa beds, many are meeting on cruise ships, at ski resorts (Thanksgiving can be a bargain), dude ranches, Walt Disney World, and far flung
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Chobe Chilwero Lodge is deep in the heart of the wilderness in Botswana, and would make a great choice for a Botswana Honeymoon. It’s not only for honeymooners, and it is a must visit on any Botswana Holiday Safari Lodge. Many knowledgeable people regard Chobe Chilwero as the top Safari Lodge in Botswana, and for good reason too. The setting of Chobe Chilwero is simply magnificent, with some of the best sunsets in Africa, plus the probability of close up viewing of many of the creatures that live in the African Bush. Chobe Chilwero Lodge is elegant where your every whim will be catered for, from beautifully furnished elegant accommodation in large rooms in one of the fifteen luxurious thatched cottages each with sunken baths inside and outside showers. Incidentally the baths are probably the biggest in Africa.In addition there is a terrace and a private garden overlooking the Chobe River. All very comfortable and private too, which makes it ideal for the perfect Botswana
(Read the full post about ‘Several Good Reasons for staying at Chobe Chilwero Lodge in Botswana either on Honeymoon or a Holiday Safari’…)

In just the latest negative change to airline loyalty programs, Alaska Airlines has announced that miles will expire after two years instead of three. Here’s the gist of the notice from Alaska’s website: “In an effort to reduce costs while minimizing the impact to our customers, we will be changing our Mileage Plan account inactivity policy. Currently, if an account has no activity for three years, it becomes inactive. Effective April 1, 2008, accounts with no mileage activity for the previous two years will become inactive and the miles will be removed from the account.” Alaska isn’t breaking any new ground with this change; American, United, and US Airways recently adopted 18-month expiration policies, while Delta cut back from three years to two. So it could be argued that Alaska has done nothing more than adopt the customer-unfriendly policies already in place at the majority of other larger airlines. Still, it’s disappointing that Alaska couldn’t resist the negative trend. It
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SYDNEY, Australia (AP) — Yes, the trip is long, very long. That’s the short answer to the first question people ask when you say you’ve been to Australia. It’s about 14 hours from Los Angeles to Brisbane. For me, a few steps up and down the aisle, a few catnaps, a couple of movies. I stretched my legs under the seat now and then, trying not to bother the guy in front. Is it worth the little discomforts? Bloody right! When we landed, a new day had just begun — G’day — and the wonders of the land down under lay before us: Watching a stingray glide before my eyes as I snorkeled in the Great Barrier Reef. Seeing little blue penguins muster at nightfall at the Southern Ocean’s edge for their ritual march to their nests. Black swans. A wallaby springing across an open field. Up above, the Southern Cross. And bungee-jumping in New Zealand. My wife and I had left a Maine winter behind to complete a long-unfinished mission. Working as editors on an ocean liner 28 years earlier, Betty and
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Before we came to Shanghai, my wife and I watched a good many travel shows about this country and this city. Almost all of them had a section on the food, and once they covered the restaurants they would without fail hit the street food and then there would always be a close up shot of grilled scorpion. I can understand the TV angle to this. Lots of people watch travel shows to get a taste of the exotic and bizarre. Eating a grilled scorpion right off the streets of China counts as both to most folks, I suspect. The thing is, I’ve been living in China now for two months, and I have only once seen anyone selling grilled scorpion on the street or otherwise. Those shows made it look like there were scorpions everywhere and that it was the main dish for the people. Mainly though, the food I’ve seen and eaten here has been unremarkably normal. I was actually a little worried about the food before I came. Not only am I never in the mood for grilled scorpion, but I also tend to think dogs
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The city’s extrovert heart thrums with so many swanky, al fresco restaurants and flash nightclubs and bars in irresistible locations that unless you have a steely resolve there’s every chance the following day you’ll wake up a little battle weary. I was reminded of this a short time after boarding the 11.45am trademark green and yellow ferry to Mosman at the Circular Quay ferry hub. The cooling sea breeze slicing through the humid morning was no more than a whiff, but it was enough to create an ever so slight swell around the aged and creaking vessel as it pulled in to Cremorne wharf to drop off passengers, dressed in summery shorts, large–brimmed hats to shade from the increasingly burning overhead sun and laden with all manner of food and shopping. The turn and churn at this point were at distinct odds with my fragile stomach, suffering the bilious effects of over indulgence. Fortunately it was fleeting. The chug around Robertsons Point into the slumbering backwaters of
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